Mindfulness helps us become more aware of our current surroundings instead of fretting about the past or future. It helps us focus on the present scenario. Mindfulness reduces stress and anxiety and instills concentration and focus. It aims at calming us and down and also helps us in relaxing. Therefore, mindfulness enables us to be more productive and efficient in our work and studies.
Apart from incorporating these qualities, mindfulness exercises also help us inculcate self-control. It also helps us realize and manage our thoughts and emotions. These exercises help us declutter our minds and let go of all the negative thoughts. All these factors make it essential for schools to encourage students to practice mindfulness. Let us look at some ways schools can incorporate mindfulness among students.
Listed below are some ways schools incorporate mindfulness among students:
1. Educating the Teachers on Mindfulness:
Before the students learn the details of mindfulness, teachers must have a thorough understanding of the concept. These schools encourage teachers to undergo mindfulness courses so that teachers can grasp the concept and how they can practice it with students. Although teachers don’t need to participate in this course, it is preferred that they join.
2. Incorporating Mindfulness in Health and Wellness Curriculum:
Another way schools incorporate mindfulness is to merge it into the health and wellness curriculum. Instead of simply adding it to the curriculum, schools can integrate it into their school programme or students to practice it frequently. Once they practice mindfulness properly, it will change the entire tone and energy of the school.
3. Creating a Suitable Environment:
Mindful schools create an environment that allows the students to relax and rid themselves of all negative thoughts. It also allows them to decrease stress and anxiety and therefore helps them focus on the present.
Therefore, you must look for a school that follows this approach to help your child mentally and academically. For example, if you are looking for a primary school in Singapore, the school environment should be relaxing and stress-free to help your child practice mindfulness.
How Practising Mindfulness Impacts School Students
Since mindfulness helps concentrate on the present, it allows students to put their full attention on their studies and restricts their minds from going haywire.
It enables students to relax and not bring in any negative thoughts. Mindfulness also reduces procrastination and helps students focus on studying.
Meditation and Yoga are great ways to incorporate mindfulness into our daily lives. Mindfulness will help us limit our focus only to deep breathing (inhaling and exhaling), which will eventually help us focus on the here and now instead of what could have been or what happened in the past. At first, students should practice these exercises for a minute or two. They can increase the time limit gradually. They can wander off in their thoughts initially. However, they should bring themselves to focus on deep breathing and meditation eventually.
Listed below are some ways mindfulness impacts studies in school:
1. Practising Mindfulness improves academic performance:
Research suggests practising mindfulness enhances academic performance. Rather than using mindfulness as a fix-it solution, research points towards mindfulness possibilities supporting the positive well-being of development of children.
2. Practising Mindful inculcates kindness and curiosity about surroundings:
Research suggests mindfulness incorporates kindness in students and increases their curiosity about their surroundings. Curiosity helps in gaining knowledge and therefore helps students improve their academic and extra-curricular activities performance.
3. Practising mindfulness develops self-identity
Research suggests mindfulness contributes to personal growth. As a result, it also helps students create an identity for themselves. Furthermore, it also helps students build relationships with other students and teachers.
4. Practising mindfulness helps students understand the choices they make:
Mindfulness enhances students’ understanding of their choices. It helps them understand people and surroundings better. As a result, it enables them to make effective choices.
Mindfulness is essential to be productive academically and personally. Therefore, you must ensure that your child enrols in a school that allows them to practice mindfulness so that they undergo holistic development. Therefore, you must look for a school that allows you to practice mindfulness exercises, give you the freedom to wander off but then also help you redirect your thoughts to the task at hand. The school must also encourage students not to judge themselves and feel bad about themselves. For example, if you are looking for an international school in Singapore, ensure the school encourages students to incorporate mindfulness exercises into their daily routines.
